


Wandering Goa'uld

by Sg1sjshipper



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 04:01:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29076033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sg1sjshipper/pseuds/Sg1sjshipper
Summary: Sam gets more deeply involved than she expected and leaves Jack worrying about her safety.
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 9
Kudos: 18
Collections: Stargate Winter Fic Exchange 2020-21





	Wandering Goa'uld

**Author's Note:**

  * For [XWingKC](https://archiveofourown.org/users/XWingKC/gifts).



This another fic for XwingKC, not only because I posted the first one too early but also because who wouldn’t like an extra SJ story! Sorry I didn't have a beta so all mistakes are mine.

It had been an exhausting day of testifying to small senate groups about the need for financial support without giving away classified information and going from office to office to update one General after the next. Sam was tired but also thankful she could spend her evening with Jack. She met him at his office, and they headed to a cafe without outdoor seating and a wonderful view of the National Mall. They were both in their dress blues, so they maintained proper decorum, not allowing themselves to even hold hands. It didn’t stop them from sharing looks, the same looks they had exchanged for years before they had become a couple. 

She had a glass of wine and he had a beer. They were waiting on their dinners when she felt the familiar tingle. Jack knew something was wrong when she stopped talking, looked to her right, and tensed. Her eyes were roaming.

“Sam?”

She stood up and kept looking through the people who had walked past the cafe. She walked away from the table and turned to the right, walking quickly past two couples. Jack stood up as she walked away. He handed a credit card to the waitress.

“Make it to go and put it in the fridge. We’ll be back.”

The waitress looked at him like he was a madman as he raced out of the cafe after Sam. Even though Sam was in her dress shoes she was still jogging after a well-dressed businessman carrying a briefcase. Jack was having a hard time catching up with her. He was within an arm’s length of her when the businessman looked over his shoulder at Sam. The man’s face tightened in a combination of fear and rage. He sped up. Sam was about to take off running after him again when Jack grabbed her arm.

“Sam, what are you doing?”

“He’s a goa’uld.”

Jack looked at the man who was hurrying away. “We’re unarmed.”

“And?” Sam pulled her arm out of his grip and started chasing the man again. Jack pulled his phone out as he followed Sam and the businessman. The man kept looking back over his shoulder, which was giving Sam a chance to gain a little ground. He could tell she wasn’t giving up, so he got into the back of a stopped cab.

Sam slammed her hands on the back of the cab as it pulled away. “Damn.”

“Teams will be here within minutes. They’ll find him.”

“I should have stopped him.”

“With what? Your heels?” Sam’s steely glare didn’t scare him. “I gave Davis the cab info. He’ll find him. Let’s get our food and head back to my office.”

She reluctantly followed him back, frequently looking over her shoulder. They got their food and headed back to the Pentagon. Jack’s phone rang as they were going through security. He nodded and grunted a few times before he hung up. “They lost him.”

“What?”

“The cab driver told them where he dropped the guy off, but his trail went cold from there. We’ve got four teams out looking for him.” They headed to his office. Sam heated up their dinner while Jack fielded calls and gave orders. After two hours of no leads Jack convinced Sam it was time to head back to his apartment. 

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sam sighed and rolled over, again.

“You need to get some sleep.” Jack kept his eyes closed as he whispered.

“So do you.”

“My girlfriend keeps moving the bed.”

“Sorry.”

He stretched out his arm and laid it over her waist. “You know it isn’t right that you’re lying in my bed thinking about another man.”

“Not just another man, a Goa’uld.”

“He could be Tok’ra.”

“Wouldn’t a Tok’ra running around Earth without notifying the SGC also be a bit worrisome.”

“I guess, a bit.”

“Do you miss it?”

“Chasing Goa’uld?”

“Yes.”

“Sometimes, but usually I prefer the way things are now.” His fingers lightly flexed along her hip, sending a tingle up her spine.

Sam wiggled and then felt guilty for moving the bed again. “Maybe I’ll get up and work on something.”

“Too wound up to sleep?”

“Obviously.”

As she started to turn towards the edge of the bed his fingers dug into her hip. “Me too.” She looked over her shoulder at him. He pulled her towards him. “Maybe we can find something to do together.”

Sam grinned as she rolled to face him. “Together huh?”

He scooted closer. “Maybe we can do one of those things I prefer about now.”

Sam grinned; glad he couldn’t see her blush. “That does sound better than my plan.”

Jack kissed her before he started nibbling down her neck. “Always go with plan B.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sam stretched when she woke, disappointed Jack had already left the bedroom since she was ready for another round thanks to several vivid dreams. She made a quick trip to the bathroom before joining him in the kitchen. She made a cup of coffee and picked up the local section of the newspaper while Jack was reading the national news. 

“Oh my god, Jack, look.” Sam turned the paper towards him. “That’s him.”

Jack took the paper from her and started reading. “He was found just after 2200 last night in an alley not far from where we lost him.”

Sam nodded. “The Air Force needs to get control of his remains.”

“Right.” Jack got up and picked up his phone. “On it.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jack hung up the phone. “His body is symbiote free.”

“What about naquada or the protein marker?”

“Nope.” Jack shook his head.

“So it left him.”

“Maybe.” Jack looked over at her sitting on the other side of the sofa. He gave her a wary look. “You also might not have felt what you thought you felt.”

Sam looked away from him as her head was shaking slowly. “No, I know what I felt. He was a Goa’uld.” She looked back at her computer. “From what I’ve found out about this guy he ran a tech company that has been very successful the last five years.”

“He didn’t start his own cult?” Sam glared at his sarcasm. “Sorry, but you gotta admit it is pretty ungoa’uld to just run a tech company.”

“Maybe but it looks like his company was doing some pretty edgy stuff. Look.” Sam turned the computer to him and flipped through some of the pages on the company website. 

“That name looks familiar. I wonder if they have some military contracts.”

“I’ll check.” Sam took the computer back and within a few minutes she had the answer. “They actually have several contracts with the Army and the Air force.” Sam kept typing. “The company is privately owned and doesn’t have a board of directors but there is a Vice-President. Perhaps we should pay him a visit.”

Jack reached over and put his hand on her leg. “Major Davis has people on it, but I’ll suggest it.”

“Tell Paul I’ll go with him.”

“Don’t you have meetings?”

Sam opened her calendar. “I’m free until 1300. That should be plenty of time.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Major Davis arrived in Jack’s office a little after 1130. “Major, good morning. How did it go?”

“Not well, Sir. The new CEO wasn’t available, so we met with the COO who was less than forthcoming.”

“I assume Colonel Carter didn’t notice anything special?” He emphasized the word special. 

“No, sir. She was very disappointed.”

“I’m sure.” Jack looked behind Major Davis. “I’m a little surprised she isn’t with you.”

“She said she had some other appointments.”

“I see. Thank you Major. Keep me in the loop as your men keep looking.”

Major Davis saluted. “Yes, sir.”

Jack pulled out his phone and dialed Sam, thinking maybe they could get lunch before her meeting at 1300. She didn’t answer. Jack tried ten minutes later but he again got her voicemail. Maybe she had a meeting earlier than she’d thought last night. His assistant spent half his time reminding Jack about one meeting or another. He tried her again at 1200 and 1230 but he still got her voicemail. He wished he’d asked her more questions about the meetings she had today. The pentagon was a big place and there were lots of officers who would like to meet with Sam. He couldn’t exactly wander office to office looking for her. He went to the commissary and got a sandwich, hoping he might see her there, but he was again disappointed.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sam showed up in his office at 1645. She apologized for not answering or returning his calls but didn’t provide an explanation. She waited until he was done, and they left together to get dinner. As they ate, she told him the tech company was a dead end, which wasn’t exactly how Major Davis had described it to Jack. She ordered a rare steak, unusual for her since she hated her meat bloody, fries instead of a baked potato, and a regular soda. It was the regular soda that made his stomach clench. By the time their food arrived Jack was on edge but maintaining an exterior calm. 

While the waitress was settling their bill, Jack excused himself and went to the restroom. Once he was in the men’s room, he pulled out his phone.

“Hey, Jack. How’s it going?”

“I need a favor Daniel.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

They’d been back in his apartment for a couple minutes when a bright light filled the room, and they were both transported to the Hammond. Sam was in a cell and Jack was standing outside of it.

“Jack? What’s the meaning of this?”

“I hope I’m wrong and if I am, I hope you’ll forgive me after you hear me out.” He kept his eyes on her as the door to the behind him slid open.

“Sir, we’re ready.”

Sam’s eyes widened. “Ready? Ready for what?”

“They’re going to run some tests.”

“Jack?”

He kept his face neutral. “If you don’t cooperate you will be sedated.” Three security guards with zats filed in behind the two medics. “Understand?”

Her eyes glowed. “How did you know?” The vibration of her voice made him nauseous. 

“She’s smarter than you.”

Sam sneered. “I will still win.” Sam screamed and crumpled to the floor, writhing in pain. Jack took one step towards her and then stopped, realizing that was the Goa’uld’s plan. Watching her thrashing on the floor in pain was ripping him in two. 

He turned to the medics. “You can leave. We have our answer.” He looked at the guards. “Nobody goes in there, no matter what the snake does to her.” He walked out without looking back, even though her screams of agony followed him.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jack slammed both palms against the table in the conference room of the Hammond. Daniel looked at him as he clasped his head in his hands.

“Jack?”

Jack kept his head down. “Get Major Davis up here. I want to know what happened this morning.”

“What about Sam?” 

Jack looked over at the monitor that showed the camera image from her cell. She was pacing the small cell instead of screaming in agony. “I’ll send a message to the Tok’ra.” 

“Can I go in and try to talk to her?”

Jack waved his hand. “Be my guest.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Major Davis was transported up to the ship just after Jack left a message with a Tok’ra operative who promised to relay his request to the council when he next checked in. Jack was sitting in the conference room watching the monitor while Daniel went in to speak with Sam. Major Davis stood behind him and watched.

Sam stopped pacing as Daniel entered. The three security guards backed up closer to the door, letting Daniel have center stage. “Who are you?”

Sam tilted her head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“It does to me.”

“Why are you here instead of her lover?” Sam sneered. “Does seeing me in her body bother him?”

“It bothers all of us.” Daniel crossed his arms. “We aren’t going to let you keep her.”

“Do you think this is the first time I’ve been caught?” Sam’s head tilted back as she laughed. When she looked back at him her eyes were cold. “You will release me.”

“Not a chance.”

“You care for her and you don’t want her hurt.” Sam walked over the wall and slammed her head against the wall hard enough to break the skin on her temple. “As long as you hold me here, I will harm her.”

“When you hurt her, you are also hurting yourself.”

Sam shook her head. “You don’t understand how this works. I can force all the pain upon her.”

Daniel’s eyes widened slightly. “She would not want us to let you go, no matter what you do to her.”

“Is that so? Does her lover agree?” Sam walked up the bars. She slid her right arm out between the bars. All three guards pulled their weapons and aimed at her. Daniel put out his hands, signaling them to not shoot. She wrapped her arm around the bar and grabbed her lower right arm with her left hand. She locked eyes with Daniel as she slammed her arm against the bar and pulled violently with her left hand. The sound of her right humerus breaking made Daniel nauseous. Jack flew into the room as Sam screamed in agony as her arm hung limply between the bars. Jack pointed a zat and fired without hesitating. Sam crumpled to the floor.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-00-0-0-0-

“I don’t understand what it hopes to gain.” Jack was looking out the window at Earth rotating below them. Daniel and Major Davis were sitting at the conference table behind him.

Daniel sighed. “I’m not sure it knows what to do either.”

Jack turned around. “Davis, what happened this morning?”

“As I told you this morning Colonel Carter and I met with Ms. Zimmer the COO who had very few details about her boss’ death. Colonel Carter said she didn’t feel anything unusual about Ms. Zimmer. We asked to meet with Mr. Roman the new CEO but we were told he was busy.”

“How long were you there?”

“We waited about ten minutes to be shown to Ms. Zimmer’s office and we weren't there more than fifteen minutes.”

“Did you and Colonel Carter leave together?”

“We did but when we got back to the car, she said she wanted to go back and see if she could meet with some of the scientists. We discussed it and even though I was uncomfortable with it she insisted. I couldn’t wait for her because I needed to meet with my search teams so I told her I would send a car back for her.”

“You left that part out when we spoke this morning.”

“I’m sorry, Sir. It must have slipped my mind.”

Jack slowly stood. “It slipped your mind that you left Colonel Carter alone at a company owned by a man we suspected of being infected by a Goa’uld?”

“I’m sorry, Sir.”

“I’m sure you are.” Jack looked at the door. “Enter!” Three guards and a medic entered. “You will accompany these men to the infirmary.”

“The infirmary, Sir?”

“I expect you to fully cooperate.”

“Cooperate with what?”

“I just want to verify that you are who you say you are.”

“This is unnecessary, Sir.”

“And yet it’s still going to happen.” Jack curled his fingers, telling the four men to come closer.  
When Major Davis spun and threw a fist at the closest guard Jack zatted him.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“How did you know?” Daniel was sitting across from Jack.

“Davis never would have left Carter alone with a Goa’uld on the loose.”

“What now?” 

“I sent a team to examine everyone at their company to make sure these are the only snakes.”

“Makes sense.” Daniel looked up at the monitor that showed both Sam and Paul restrained to gurneys in the medical bay. “What about them?”

“We wait for them to wake up.”

“And then?”

“We find out why they’re on Earth and we get those snakes out of them.”

Daniel still had his eyes on the monitor. “I think Paul is moving.”

They made their way to the medical bay. Jack paused for a brief moment before entering. As soon as they walked in the doctor turned to face them. “Major Davis is beginning to revive. I’m preparing to take Colonel Carter to surgery to repair the humerus fracture.”

Daniel’s brow creased. “Can’t the symbiote heal her?”

The doctor looked over at Sam. “It can but it hasn’t.”

“Do what you need to do Doc. I can start with the other one.”

Daniel and Jack sat on stools on either side of Major Davis as they wheeled Sam to surgery. He stayed silent as he woke and looked back and forth from Jack to Daniel. Daniel was the first to break the silence after a thirty-minute standoff. “What’s your name?” 

Paul’s head tilted but he made no attempt to answer. “Who are you?”

Daniel questioned him until Sam was rolled back into the room to recover from surgery. Paul never uttered a word, but his eyes locked on Sam as she was rolled into the bay beside him. Jack recognized the look in Paul’s eyes. 

Jack stood up. “Let’s go.” Daniel was surprised but followed him back to the conference room. Jack went straight to the monitor while Daniel started asking why they left.

“Look.” Jack motioned to the monitor.

“Oh.” Daniel watched as Paul gently held Sam’s fingers. “Well, that’s…”

“That might be the answer we need.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jack goes back to his office to follow up on the reports coming in from the tech company. Daniel checks in with the SGC and keeps an eye on the prisoners using the cameras in the medical bay. Even though Sam woke Daniel decided to not visit her until Jack returned. He couldn’t shake the image of her arm being broken. 

When Jack walked in he motioned for two medics and a security guard to join him. “There’s nothing wrong with him. Take him to a regular cell.”

“No!” Sam glared at Jack.

“You want him to stay then you tell us who you are and why you’re here.” She glared at him but didn’t speak. Jack looked back at the guards. “Take him and keep him in restraints. If he gives you any trouble zat him again.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” Sam screamed at Jack.

“That proves she’s fighting you. If you had access to her mind, you’d know I’d dare.” Jack’s eyes bored into Sam’s. He stepped up to the edge of her gurney and leaned down. “I know she can hear me, and she knows we’re going to save her. She’ll keep fighting until we do.”

Sam’s eyes glowed. “All I have to do is release the toxin.”

“She'd rather die than be controlled by you.”

“What about you?” Sam sneered. “Would you rather she be dead?”

Jack stood up. “I won’t let you take her.”

“You are powerless.”

“Said the snake tied to the bed.” Jack turned and stalked to the door. “You won’t see your lover again until you cooperate.”

Sam thrashed on the bed as Jack walked out.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jack watched the two screens, one focused on Sam and the other on Paul. They appeared to be resting comfortably but he knew better. They were both formulating ways to escape and Jack had to stay a step ahead. Daniel was talking but Jack was ignoring him as he focused on Sam’s left hand, which was moving under the sheet. The movements were small and subtle, but Jack knew what was happening even though the guards hadn’t noticed. Jack picked up the phone.

Sam moaned, getting the guards attention. As the youngest guard got close to her, she swung out with the arm in a cast, knocking the guard to the floor. She slid off the gurney and turned it on its side as she grabbed the zat from the downed guard. Her head popped up long enough for her to aim and fire at the second guard, hitting him. She hopped over the gurney and made it out the door, unaware that Jack had already alerted the ship's security. Jack watched as Sam briefly looked conflicted but then started moving towards the ring room. She was leaving her lover behind, so much for that relationship.

She should have realized it was too easy, but she walked right into Jack’s trap, a force shield trapped her in the hall just outside the ring room. A guard zapped her just as she realized she was trapped, stopping her from hurting Sam or releasing the deadly toxin.

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sam jerked awake. She grabbed her head, searching for the invader.

“It’s gone, Sam. You’re safe.” Jack reached out and put his hand on Sam’s shoulder. “The Tok’ra got it out.”

“Paul?” 

“Is getting his snake taken out right now.”

Sam shuttered. “They grabbed us as soon as we stepped into the COO’s office.”

Jack’s hand slid down to her hand. He wrapped his fingers around her palm. “But you're safe now.”

Sam shook her head. “There were more of them there and there are other companies that have been taken over as well.” Sam looked into Jack’s eyes. “This goes deep, and we need to root them out.”

“Let me worry about that. You need to rest.”

Sam sat up. “No, I’m the best bet for being able to infiltrate them but only if we act quickly.”

Jack’s face hardened. “There’s no way I’m going to let you…”

“Let me?” Sam swung her feet over the side of the bed. “We agreed this…” She looked up at him making sure he understood by this she meant their relationship, “wouldn’t get in the way of doing our jobs.”

“Your job is at Groom Lake.” Jack shoved his hands in his pockets. “Once Major Davis is snake free he can infiltrate the viper pit.”

Sam looked around for clothes. “He won’t have naquada in his blood. He won’t be able to fool anyone.” Sam stood up. “I need clothes.”

“Sam, this is ridiculous. We’ll get them without you risking your life.”

Sam nudged Jack to the side and opened the cabinets behind him hoping for clothes but finding instead medical equipment. She moved over and opened more cabinets. “Where are my clothes?”

“After the snake broke your arm, they were cut off of you.”

“Then how about you get me some more. We don’t have time to waste.” 

“I forbid you from…”

Sam spun and glared at him. “Excuse me?”

“Be reasonable, Sam.” Jack reached out to her.

The look of desperation hidden behind his gruffness softened her tone. She stepped up close to him and lightly wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’m sorry Jack, but you know I have to do this.” She looked into his eyes and felt his fear for her. She knew seeing her possessed by a Goa’uld had been hard on him but now was not the time for either of them to dwell on what she had just survived. She laid her hand on the edge of his jaw. He wrapped his arms around her waist. When her forehead landed on his shoulder, he dipped his head and pressed his face to her neck. They stood and held one another, briefly escaping the upcoming peril. When Sam lifted her head Jack reciprocated, even though he would have been content to stay in her embrace for longer.

“Right, clothes. I’ll go find you something.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Sam and Paul’s captures were completely erased from all official channels, allowing Sam to walk back into the pit of vipers. Sam had hidden herself from the Goa’uld by building a wall between its mind and hers, but she had also listened as the Goa’uld talked to itself. She knew it had planned to use the offspring being birthed by the queen in the penthouse of the CEOs apartment building to take over Fortune 500 companies, establishing the monetary means to take over Earth and beyond. Therefore, Sam’s first goal was identifying everyone currently infested by a Goa’uld followed closely by the elimination of the Queen and all of her offspring. 

Before getting out of the rental car Sam checked to be sure the small vial of symbiote poison was safely hidden in the rolled cuff of her shirt sleeve. Her right earring was a small camera, and her left earring was a microphone, allowing Jack and Paul who were in a nondescript dark blue van a block away to keep an eye on her and record everything. Sam walked into the building with her head held high.

Sam walked up to the desk and nodded at the security guard.

He looked her over. “You new here?” His eyes flashed.

Sam could feel the naquada in him. She gave him a what do you think glare. “Just visiting.” She looked around her, as if she was worried someone might have seen his eyes. She hoped if she pretended to be nervous, he would accept that as a reason why she didn’t flash her eyes back at him.

He handed her a visitors tag. “Go to the ninth floor. Turn right when you get out of the elevator. The conference room is at the end of the hall.”

Sam took the tag. “Thank you.” Two people stepped out of the elevator, neither of them made her naquada tingle, leaving the elevator empty. She stepped in and randomly picked the sixth floor, making sure to avoid the ninth floor. She pocketed the visitor tag, not wanting to draw attention to herself. Sam was good at looking like she knew where she was headed and had every reason to be there so nobody questioned her as she walked down the hall. She opened a closed door, ready to make an excuse if she walked in on someone but was pleased to find she had lucked into an empty office. She locked the door behind her. 

She sat at the desk and turned on the computer. She took a moment to look out the large window behind her, wishing she was less exposed but understanding why the office's occupant had decided to put the window behind them and door in front of them. It wasn’t hard to break into the computer and within moments she was searching the company’s servers. 

“Hope you guys are getting all of this.” Sam was scanning through numerous documents, many of which listed government posts and companies now controlled by symbiotes. They had not made many inroads into the military but the plans to do so were laid out, with Jack being one of their targets. 

“Well, that answers a few questions.” Sam scanned through a document that outlined how to mature a symbiote quickly without the use of a Jaffa. Clearly much research had gone into it, not all that surprising since the free Jaffa movement had decreased the Goa’uld’s control over the Jaffa. The symbiotes had to be kept in a special nutrient solution in a chamber with a slight electrical charge for at least three months before they could be implanted. Based on what she was reading the Queen was producing two hundred offspring a week, meaning there could be over two thousand symbiotes waiting in the penthouse when they invade it. There were also notes about the large loss of symbiotes as they fought each other in the chamber, requiring them to build numerous chambers. Sam was pleased that infighting was reducing the number of symbiotes that made it to the point they could be implanted.

As Sam kept reading it became clear that nearly two hundred symbiotes had already been implanted in people through the United States and nearly fifty in other countries. Rounding up the infected Americans would be tough but calling on other countries, some of which didn’t even know about the existence of the Stargate, to round up those who were infected would be next to impossible. Sam heard movement outside the door, so she raced to email the relevant documents to Jack before erasing her tracks and turning off the computer. 

Sam moved back out to the hall and got into the elevator with two other people, neither of which felt infected. She got out on the ninth floor. When Jack saw she was going up instead of down he began yelling at the screen.

“Damn it, Sam, what are you doing?” She couldn’t hear him. She had declined to wear an earpiece, worried it would be too noticeable. “Get the hell out of there.” He watched her walk towards the conference room where she had initially been directed. She was greeted at the entrance by two men who both flashed their eyes at her. 

As she looked around the room her skin crawled. Everyone milling around had naquada in their blood and a symbiote in their heads. Sam was surrounded by the enemy and her life depended on blending in. She moved over to a table along one wall and poured herself a glass of water as she pondered her options. From this vantage point she could look out and see the road upon which she knew Jack and Paul were parked. She knew Jack must be angry she had not already left but she had an inkling that she had another hand to play, even if it wasn’t one Jack would have agreed to.

“Welcome.” All eyes turned to the tall brunette woman who had entered the conference room. “Thank you for coming, as requested of all new initiates. Your training will begin immediately.” The woman lifted her arms and Sam was enveloped in blue. 

Jack and Paul watched as the screen went bright and then dark. Paul reached out and began turning knobs and hitting buttons. “We’ve lost the signal.”

“What?” Jack looked over at Paul. “What do you mean?”

“I mean we’ve lost audio and video.” Paul looked over at Jack. “I’ve got nothing.”

Jack pulled out his phone. “I need a location on Colonel Carter.” He knew his lack of a reason why he needed it puzzled his assistant, but the young man still did as he was told. “What the hell does that mean?” Paul saw Jack’s face lose a little of its color. “Get a hold of the Hammond and tell them to look for her locator. Call me back as soon as they’ve found her.”

Jack looked over at Paul as he turned off his phone. “They couldn’t find her locator signal.”

“Oh.” Paul looked away, knowing Jack needed a moment. He turned off the monitors that were now black or covered in static. “Now what?”

“Back to the pentagon.”

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

Jack’s phone rang just as they were pulling off the interstate. “Right. Thank you.” Paul looked over at him. “The Hammond couldn’t find her signal either, but they are increasing the search to encompass the space around Earth.” The absence of Sam’s locator signal confirmed his belief that Sam had been beamed off the planet. That also meant these guys had a ship and access to Asgard beaming technology. Now Jack was worried about not only Sam’s safety but also how deep this infestation had gone. They clearly had more technology than he had counted on.

Paul left Jack when they got to the Pentagon but promised to return after he grabbed a shower and something to eat, which reminded Jack that he also hadn’t eaten in several hours. His first stop was a bathroom though. Hours of surveillance didn’t really give one a chance to pee. When he got to his office, he found his assistant had left him a sandwich, chips, brownie, and soda on his desk. Jack started on the sandwich while he called the Hammond again, disappointed to find there was still no sign of Sam and they had expanded their search even further than Jack had originally ordered. 

-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-

“Sir!” Jack’s assistant slid into his office. “It’s the Hammond.”

Jack grabbed his mouse and clicked open the communication program. “Major?”

“General O’Neill, we’ve detected a ship in a polar orbit. We are moving towards it now.”

“Assume it is hostile.”

“Yes, sir.” Major Grenick turned to his weapons officers. “Prepare to fire and keep shields at maximum.”

“Receiving a communication signal, sir.”

“Put it on the screen and pipe it to Homeworld Command.”

“Yes, sir.” 

Jack leaned towards his computer even though it would do nothing to improve his vision. He gasped as Sam’s face filled his screen.

“This is Colonel Carter calling the Hammond. I repeat this is Colonel Carter Calling the Hammond.”

“This is the Hammond. It’s good to see you Colonel. How did you get on that ship? Thought you were in D.C. testifying about why we need more funding.”

“Something came up.”

“Carter?”

Sam heard Jack’s voice, but she couldn’t see him on her screen. “General O’Neill?” She shocked herself by remembering to use his title.

“Report Carter.” He sounded angry.

“I was beamed onto this ship along with the other new initiates, which translates to most recently infected with a symbiote. I suppose this was an orientation of sorts but as soon as I realized I had been transported and was surrounded by Goa’uld I released the symbiote poison.”

“Good job.”

“Thank you, sir, but this doesn’t actually solve the problem.”

“The problem?”

“There are hundreds of symbiote infected people on Earth along with thousands of infant symbiotes that are going to be implanted over the next couple of months.”

“We have eyes on the penthouse with the Queen. We can take it out at any point.”

“If we do that before we have a plan for the others, they will go into hiding.”

“My thinking exactly.”

“We have a list and now I am in control of their escape plan. I say we start beaming them onto the Hammond. We can target them using naquada signatures as well as the GPS of their cell phones. If any of them show up here I’ll deal with them.”

“We’ll send you some back up.” Jack glanced from Sam back to Major Grenick, who was on duty covering the Hammond while Sam was on Earth. “Major, I’ll see you in a few minutes.”

“Sir? I mean, yes, sir.”

It wasn’t anything against Major Grenick but the man was out of his element and Jack decided to let him off the hook. He arrived on the Hammond moments after signing off his computer. Sam worked with Captain Hailey to design a program to locate symbiotes and within three hours they had started transporting people aboard. As Sam expected several beamed onto her ship but she and a group of ten armed soldiers surprised each of them. It took them nearly two full days to round them all up and raid the penthouse but a third and final sweep of Earth plus a review of the list Sam had discovered left them feeling confident they had found them all.

Jack had gone back to Earth after a day, leaving Sam and Colonel Mitchell in charge of the round up. Colonel Michell agreed to stay on the Hammond for a few days so Sam could go back to D.C. to finish testifying and making the rounds trying to get more funding. She hoped rounding up hundreds of Goa’uld bent on dominating Earth’s global markets would help her make her case that the SGC was still vital. She had herself beamed down into their living room, even though she had not told Jack she was headed home. The bright light was his clue but as he came down the stairs, he was also ready for an intruder, just in case. He stopped on the next to last step as she turned around towards him.

“Jack.” Her eyes were sad. He moved down the last couple of steps and opened his arms. She stepped into his embrace and wrapped her arms around his waist as he reciprocated by encircling her shoulders. “I’m so sorry.”

She felt him smell her hair and was glad she’d had some of her favorite shampoo on the Hammond. “For saving the world, again?”

She lifted her head off his chest and looked into his eyes. “For going off script and disappearing.”

He kissed her forehead and tightened his arms. “You did what you had to do, and it worked out.”

“But I once again put you through hell.”

He shrugged. “I knew what I was signing up for when I said I do.”

Sam snickered. “So, I’m forgiven?”

“Well,” he looked down at her, “there are a few things you could do to make it up to me.”

“Such as?” Sam’s lips quirked, she knew exactly what he wanted, and she was happy to oblige. He bent his head and captured her lips, deepening the kiss as his hands slipped under the hem of her shirt.


End file.
